The 2017 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino is a noteworthy red wine made from Sangiovese Grosso grapes, originating from the esteemed Brunello di Montalcino sub-region in Tuscany, Italy. This vintage is notable for its balance and refinement despite the challenging weather conditions of the growing season.
Jeb Dunnuck awards this wine a high score of 96, noting its surprising freshness given the warm vintage. He describes it as "refined with ripe red cherry, raspberry, anise, and incense," and praises its medium frame, well-managed tannins, and balanced acidity. Dunnuck finds it "lovely and charming," suggesting it will be best enjoyed from 2024 through 2040.
Vinous, with a score of 93, remarks on the wine's "grace and refinement," highlighting exotic spices, wild strawberries, and worn leather. Eric Guido acknowledges the edginess of the tannins due to the warm and dry conditions but praises the balance maintained. He commends the wine as a successful effort for the vintage, especially given Biondi Santi's extended barrel aging practices.
Wine Spectator gives the wine a score of 94, describing it as a "fresh, energetic red" with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, iron, and rosemary. The review emphasizes the wine's assertive tannins and balance, recommending it will be best from 2025 through 2043.
James Suckling also rates the wine highly at 96, pointing out its "sweet berry, orange peel, cedar, bark and forest flower aromas." He finds the wine to be "crisp and vivid," with linear and fine tannins. Suckling notes its subtlety and freshness, suggesting it will benefit from a few more years of aging, with peak drinking starting in 2026.
Monica Larner from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate echoes the high praise with another score of 96. She highlights a "delicately sweet note of fresh summer cherry," and describes the wine as resilient despite the hot and dry growing season. Larner praises the wine's silky tannins and lingering flavors, calling it "immediately pleasing."
The Wine Independent also gives the wine a 96, lauding its "lightly fragrant oak nose with notes of cream and vanilla and cherry." The review appreciates the wine's finesse, flow, and fine texture, noting a slight grippy dryness in the tannins.
Overall, the 2017 Biondi Santi Brunello di Montalcino is a highly acclaimed wine, celebrated for its balance, refined complexity, and impressive aging potential despite the challenging vintage conditions.